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Out with the old...

Preparing for year-end is the perfect excuse to organize, prioritize and take stock. Especially this year, this feels like an important exercise, whether or not you are a manager. I thought I'd send my personal agenda for December, with the idea that it may spark your own ideas for this process. I'd love to hear from you if you have things to add to the list.

Management Tasks
Employee Reviews - even if this isn't the time that reviews come around at your company, end of year is a good time to make notes about individual and team progress. It's also important to set goals for the upcoming months.

Publishing Achievements - let upper management know about the great things your team has contributed this year, projects completed, new processes that save time and money, whatever there is to brag about. Be sure to mention the names of individuals involved.

Budget - if you haven't already completed your budget, now's the time to think about major items you need for the upcoming year.

Personal Tasks
Data Archives - don't let old work information accumulate without filing away for the future. This applies to electronic files, email, and paper.

Reading and Research - what areas do you want to know more about? What have you not had time to research? Now's a good time to make a list and actually take some time to find out about whatever you've been wanting to know-whether it is business, personal, fitness or spiritual. Keep some of that material handy so when you are waiting in a line or for an appointment, you can be catching up on your interests instead of fretting.

Personal Goals - a famous Harvard Business School study demonstrated that individuals who write down their goals are higher earners and better achievers. In their study, the 3 percent of the study group had written goals were earning an astounding 10 times that of the group who did not write them down. Other research supports the fact that you're much more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down and refer to them. I write the following sets of goals: five-year, one-year, quarterly, monthly, and weekly. I break my weekly goals into a daily task list. All of these are fairly simple and straightforward. I start with the five-year plan and work backwards. The idea is that what I do each day supports the chain that helps me realize the five-year plan. (If you want more information about defining measurable goals, let me know.)

Saying Thanks - we've all had a reminder of the fragility of the status quo, so now is a great time to remember to thank your family, friends, colleagues, clients, peers and managers. Personal notes for those far away, a moment or two in person to those you see is all that's needed.